can I loosen up eye glands enough to express just using rice baggy?

[yoganut]

I'm doing the lid hygience with lid scrub, but it seems I need to loosen up the oil glands first? Do I need moist heat - ie washcloths (impractical) or can I express the glands after using a heated rice baggy? thanks

[strider1]

wait so we are supposed to do the rice baggy first then do the lid scrub?

[Terri]

Dr. Latkany's book does a great job of describing and illustrating the following procedure. If you don't have a copy, I highly recommend purchasing one from the shop:

1. Heat a rice baggy or eye gel pad, lie down, and cover your eyes and relax for three minutes. (I like to do this for five minutes.)

2. Pull your eyelid slightly to the side. Using a cotton swab dipped in hot water, gently push at the lower eyelid margin just below your eyelashes. Work your way from one end to the other, then do the same for your upper eyelid. Repeat on the other eye. (This expresses the oils you have loosened up in the heating process.)

3. Take a wet cotton swab and wipe inside the lashline to clean away any debris from expressing the glands that remains on the edges of your eyelids. Don't wipe inside your eyelid or touch the surface of your eye with the swab. (I pull my eyelids slightly away from the eye to do this step.)

4. Rinse your eyes to get rid of any remaining debris on the surface. You can use Unisol (unpreserved saline solution) or a vial of low-viscosity PF drops (five drops, or half a vial, in each eye).

Eyelid scrubs (using Sterilid or Ocusoft or other appropriate product) can be done independently of the oil expression procedure above. Some people do eyelid scrubs as part of a daily shower.

Hope this helps.

[yoganut]

Thank you for your post. That did help. Guess I've been doing it incorrectly (my eyes are sore afterwards). I'll try this.

[Cindy]

be gentle on your eyes

Hi. My message about using rice baggies and lid scrubs is to be gentle on your eyes. The melting point of normal meibomian gland secretions is around 89 - 95 degrees Farenheit. Slightly under body temperature.

Use a reasonably warm rice baggy/warm washcloth and then gently apply pressure to your lid rims to express the oil. Oil expression and lid scrubs should be a gentle event.

Be patient, gentle and persistent and over time you should see results. Don't try to get amazing results quickly or your eyes will be sore and you will hate the idea of facing lid hygiene.

Slow and steady wins the race.

[yoganut]

OK I understand that one should be gentle when doing the gland expression but shouldn't even just a little oil secretion the first time I do it make a difference?